US20210257767A1 - 3d printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features - Google Patents
3d printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20210257767A1 US20210257767A1 US16/792,534 US202016792534A US2021257767A1 US 20210257767 A1 US20210257767 A1 US 20210257767A1 US 202016792534 A US202016792534 A US 202016792534A US 2021257767 A1 US2021257767 A1 US 2021257767A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- terminal receiving
- mating
- electrical connector
- securing arms
- housing
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
- H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
- H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
- H01R13/422—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means
- H01R13/4223—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers
- H01R13/4226—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers comprising two or more integral flexible retaining fingers acting on a single contact
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
- H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B33Y10/00—Processes of additive manufacturing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B33Y80/00—Products made by additive manufacturing
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/02—Contact members
- H01R13/22—Contacts for co-operating by abutting
- H01R13/24—Contacts for co-operating by abutting resilient; resiliently-mounted
- H01R13/2407—Contacts for co-operating by abutting resilient; resiliently-mounted characterized by the resilient means
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
- H01R43/18—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing bases or cases for contact members
Definitions
- the present invention is directed a one piece 3D printed electrical connector with securing arms which facilitates the removal of material, such as resin or powder, from the connector.
- the invention is directed to a one piece printed electrical connector which has passageways which allow the resin to be rinsed from the printed connector.
- Electrical connector components are typically manufactured from traditional methods and are designed to accommodate the respective traditional tooling methods. Connectors manufactured from multiple components also require assembly and may have lengthy and complex bills of materials and component lead times.
- a connector designed with the 3D printing or additive manufacturing process in mind can be constructed with consolidated components and/or eliminate many components and manufacturing steps, however all connectors need to be designed for manufacturability.
- Such 3D printable connectors must be configured to allow the photo curable resin to be completely rinsed from the resulting product in order to obtain optimal performance.
- known connectors have product features which do not allow for adequate residual material removal and cleaning and, ultimately, result in the product not performing as intended.
- an electrical connector which is configured to prevent material entrapment and allow adequate material, such as resin or powder, drainage and final rinsing/cleaning resulting in superior product performance.
- material such as resin or powder
- drainage and final rinsing/cleaning resulting in superior product performance.
- An embodiment is directed to a single piece electrical connector having a housing with a mating face, a wire receiving face, and housing side walls.
- Terminal receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the wire receiving face.
- the terminal receiving cavities have cavity side walls.
- Resilient securing arms are provided in the terminal receiving cavities.
- the resilient securing arms have fixed portions which extend from and are integrally attached to base members or projection members which extend from and are integrally attached to the cavity side walls of the terminal receiving cavities.
- the resilient securing arms are made from the same material and in the same manufacturing process that forms the housing.
- the fixed ends are spaced from the cavity side walls by gaps. The gaps between the resilient securing arms and the cavity side walls facilitate the cleaning or removal of excess material formed during the manufacturing process of the electrical connector.
- An embodiment is directed to an electrical connector made from an additive manufacturing process.
- the electrical connector includes a housing having a mating face, a wire receiving face, and housing side walls. Terminal receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the wire receiving face.
- the terminal receiving cavities have cavity side walls.
- Resilient securing arms are provided in the terminal receiving cavities.
- the resilient securing arms have fixed portions which extend from and are integrally attached to base members or projection members which extend from and are integrally attached to the cavity side walls of the terminal receiving cavities.
- the resilient securing arms are made from the same material and in the same process that forms the housing.
- the fixed ends are spaced from the cavity side walls by gaps.
- Cleaning openings are provided on the mating face of the connector housing. The cleaning openings extend through the mating face and into the terminal receiving cavities.
- Mating terminal receiving openings extend through the mating face of the connector housing.
- the mating terminal receiving openings extend into the terminal receiving cavities.
- the cleaning openings are positioned proximate to the mating terminal receiving openings. The gaps between the resilient securing arms and the cavity side walls and the cleaning openings facilitate the removal of excess material formed during the manufacturing process of the electrical connector.
- An embodiment is directed to a method of manufacturing an electrical connector with integral resilient securing arms.
- the method includes: printing a body of the electrical connector in an additive printing process, the body having terminal receiving cavities therein; printing the resilient securing arms simultaneously with the printing of the body, the resilient securing arms being positioned in the terminal receiving cavities; spacing the resilient securing arms from walls of the terminal receiving cavities to form gaps between the walls; and cleaning excess material created during the additive printing process from the terminal receiving cavities.
- the spacing of the resilient securing arms from the walls of the terminal receiving cavities allows the excess material to be removed from the terminal receiving cavities and the body of the electrical connector.
- FIG. 1 is a top perspective of an illustrative embodiment of an electrical connector of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1 taken along line 3 - 3 of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view the area 4 of FIG. 3 , showing a pair terminal receiving cavities of the electrical connector.
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area 5 represented by the broken circle of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 6 is a top perspective of an alternate illustrative embodiment of an electrical connector of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 6 taken along line 8 - 8 of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view the area 9 of FIG. 8 , showing a terminal receiving cavity of the electrical connector.
- FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the area 10 represented by the broken circle of FIG. 8 .
- FIGS. 1 through 5 an illustrative arrangement of terminal receiving cavities 20 in an illustrative single piece electrical connector housing 10 is shown. While the terminal receiving cavities 20 are shown in the illustrative connector housing 10 , the invention, as described herein, can be used with terminal receiving cavities 20 in any type of connector housing or assembly.
- the connector housing 10 has a mating face 12 , a wire receiving face 14 , and housing side walls 16 . In the embodiment shown, the side walls 16 extend beyond the mating face 12 and the wire receiving face 14 , however, other configurations of the side walls 16 can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
- the connector housing 10 has a generally square or rectangular configuration, however, other types, sizes and shapes or housings may be used.
- the electrical connector housing 10 is manufactured using an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing, to form a one piece connector housing.
- the connector housing 10 has terminal receiving cavities 20 which extend from the mating face 12 to the wire receiving face 14 .
- the terminal receiving cavities are dimensioned to receive terminals (not shown) therein.
- the particular configuration of the terminals may vary depending upon the application and amount of current required to flow across the terminal.
- Each terminal receiving cavity 20 has a wire receiving portion 22 , a securing portion 24 and a mating terminal receiving portion 26 .
- the wire receiving portion 22 is positioned proximate to the wire receiving face 14 of the housing 10 .
- the mating terminal receiving portion 26 is position proximate to the mating face 12 of the housing.
- the securing portion 24 extends between the wire receiving portion 22 and the mating terminal receiving portion 26 .
- the wire receiving portion 22 has a diameter A which is large enough to receive the terminal therethrough.
- the mating terminal receiving portion 26 has a diameter B which is smaller than the diameter A of the wire receiving portion 22 .
- the diameter B is dimensioned to be large enough to allow a mating contact or pin to be inserted therethrough. However, the diameter B is sufficiently small to prevent the terminal inserted through the wire receiving portion 22 to be removed through the mating terminal portion 26 .
- the securing portion 24 has resilient securing arms 30 provided therein.
- the securing arms 30 have a fixed portion 32 which extends from and is integrally attached to base member or projection member 38 which extends from and is integrally attached to a cavity side wall 34 of the terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the fixed portion 32 is positioned proximate to or offset from the wire receiving face 14 of the housing 10 .
- the length of the securing arms 30 is equal to or proximate the length of the securing portion 24 .
- the resilient securing arms 30 extend from the fixed ends 32 toward the mating face 12 of the housing 10 .
- the resilient securing arms 30 terminate at free ends 36 which are spaced from the side wall 34 of the terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the resilient securing arms 30 are configured to cooperate with the terminal inserted therein to maintain the terminal in the terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the free ends 36 of the resilient securing arms 30 tilt into the terminal receiving cavity further than the fixed ends 32 , such that the diameter D of passage formed by the fixed ends 32 is greater than the diameter C of passage formed by the free ends 36 .
- the number, size, shape and positioning of the resilient securing arms 30 may vary.
- the length of the resilient securing arms 30 as measured from the fixed ends 32 to the free ends 36 may vary, as may the length of the terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the thickness of the resilient securing arms 30 may vary from one embodiment to another. In addition, the thickness of the resilient securing arms 30 may vary from the fixed ends 32 to the free ends 36 .
- the amount of tilt of the free ends 36 may also be varied. While the resilient securing arms 30 in the embodiment shown have a longitudinal axis which is relatively straight, the resilient securing arms 30 may have a curved or helical configuration.
- the resilient securing arms 30 may be curved inward or outward depending upon the resiliency needed to maintain the terminal in position in the terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the fixed ends 32 are fixed to base members or projection members 38 which extend from side wall 34 of the terminal receiving cavity 20 , the fixed ends 32 are spaced from the side wall 34 by a gap 40 .
- the size of the gap can be varied.
- the resilient securing arms 30 are formed in the same process as the housing 10 , and as tooling cannot be inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 20 to properly form the resilient securing arms 30 , the housing 10 and resilient securing arms 30 must be formed by an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing. Consequently, it is imperative that excess material or unwanted material be able to be cleaned out or removed from the terminal receiving cavity 20 upon completion of the formation of the housing 20 and the resilient securing arms 30 . Providing gaps 40 between the resilient securing arms 30 and the side wall 34 facilitates the cleaning or removal of the excess material.
- holders or tabs 42 extend between the free ends 36 of adjacent resilient securing arms 30 , as best shown in FIG. 5 .
- the holders or tabs 42 are integrally formed with the free ends 36 to maintain the free ends 36 in position relative to each other as the connector housing 10 and the resilient securing arms 30 are cleaned and cured.
- the holders or tabs 42 are configured to break as the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 20 to allow the resilient securing arms 30 to act independently to secure the terminal in position.
- mating terminal receiving openings 58 extend through the mating face 12 of the connector housing 10 .
- Cleaning openings 60 are provided on the mating face 12 of the connector housing 10 .
- the cleaning openings 60 are positioned proximate to the mating terminal receiving openings 58 and extend through the mating face 12 and into the mating terminal receiving portions 26 of the terminal receiving cavities 20 .
- the cleaning openings 60 are smaller in size than the mating terminal receiving openings 58 , whereby the mating terminals cannot be inserted into the cleaning openings 60 .
- the cleaning openings 60 may be integrally connected to the mating terminal receiving openings 58 .
- three cleaning openings 60 extend into each terminal receiving cavity 20 , with the cleaning openings 60 positioned in approximate alignment with the securing arms 30 of the respective terminal receiving cavity 20 .
- the cleaning openings 60 facilitates the removal of the excess material or unwanted material from the terminal receiving cavity 20 upon completion of the formation of the housing 20 and the resilient securing arms 30 .
- the connector housing 110 has a mating face 112 , a wire receiving face 114 , and side walls 116 .
- the side walls 116 extend between the mating face 112 and between the wire receiving face 114 , however, other configurations of the side walls 116 can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
- the connector housing 110 has a generally square or rectangular configuration, however, other configurations, such as, but not limited to circular, may be used.
- the connector housing 110 has terminal receiving cavities 120 which extend from the mating face 112 to the wire receiving face 114 .
- the terminal receiving cavities are dimensioned to receive terminals (not shown) therein.
- the particular configuration of the terminals may vary depending upon the application and amount of current required to flow across the terminal.
- each terminal receiving cavity 120 has a wire receiving portion 122 , a securing portion 124 and a mating terminal receiving portion 126 .
- the wire receiving portion 122 is positioned proximate to the wire receiving face 114 of the housing 110 .
- the mating terminal receiving portion 126 is position proximate to the mating face 112 of the housing.
- the securing portion 124 extends between the wire receiving portion 122 and the mating terminal receiving portion 126 .
- the wire receiving portion 122 has a diameter F which is large enough to receive the terminal therethrough.
- the mating terminal receiving portion 126 has a diameter G which is smaller than the diameter F of the wire receiving portion 122 .
- the diameter G is dimensioned to be large enough to allow a mating contact or pin to be inserted therethrough. However, the diameter G is sufficiently small to prevent the terminal inserted through the mating terminal receiving portion 126 to be removed through the wire receiving portion 122 .
- the securing portion 124 has resilient securing arms 130 provided therein.
- the securing arms 130 have a fixed portion 132 which extends from and is integrally attached to base member or projection member 138 which extends from and is integrally attached to a side wall 134 of the terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the securing arms 130 are made from the same material and are made in the same process that forms the other parts of the housing 110 .
- the fixed portion 132 is positioned proximate to or offset from the wire receiving face 114 of the housing 110 . In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 through 9 , the length of the securing portion 124 is greater than the length of the securing arms 130 .
- the resilient securing arms 130 extend from the fixed ends 132 toward the mating face 112 of the housing 110 .
- the resilient securing arms 130 terminate at free ends 136 which are spaced from the side wall 134 of the terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the resilient securing arms 130 are configured to cooperate with the terminal inserted therein to maintain the terminal in the terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the free ends 136 of the resilient securing arms 130 tilt into the terminal receiving cavity further than the fixed ends 132 , such that the diameter H of passage formed by the fixed ends 132 is greater than the diameter I of passage formed by the free ends 136 .
- the number, size, shape and positioning of the resilient securing arms 130 may vary.
- the length of the resilient securing arms 130 as measured from the fixed ends 132 to the free ends 136 may vary, as may the length of the terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the thickness of the resilient securing arms 130 may vary from one embodiment to another.
- the thickness of the resilient securing arms 130 may vary from the fixed ends 132 to the free ends 136 .
- the amount of tilt of the free ends 136 may also be varied. While the free ends 136 of the resilient securing arms 130 in the embodiment shown are curved slightly inward relatively straight, the resilient securing arms 130 may have a helical configuration.
- the resilient securing arms 130 may be curved outward or be straight depending upon the resiliency needed to maintain the terminal in position in the terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the fixed ends 132 are fixed to base members or projection members 138 which extend from side wall 134 of the terminal receiving cavity 120 , the fixed ends 132 are spaced from the side wall 134 by a gap 140 .
- the size of the gap can be varied.
- the resilient securing arms 130 are formed in the same process as the housing 110 , and as tooling cannot be inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 120 to properly form the resilient securing arms 130 , the housing 110 and resilient securing arms 130 must be formed by an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing. Consequently, it is imperative that excess material or unwanted material be able to be cleaned out or removed from the terminal receiving cavity 120 upon completion of the formation of the housing 120 and the resilient securing arms 130 . Providing gaps 140 between the resilient securing arms 130 and the side wall 134 facilitates the cleaning or removal of the excess material.
- holders or tabs 142 extend between the free ends 136 of adjacent resilient securing arms 130 , as best shown in FIG. 10 .
- the holders or tabs 142 are integrally formed with the free ends 136 to maintain the free ends 136 in position relative to each other as the connector housing 110 and the resilient securing arms 130 are cleaned and thermally cured.
- the holders or tabs 142 are configured to break as the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 120 to allow the resilient securing arms 130 to act independently to secure the terminal in position.
- mating terminal receiving openings 158 extend through the mating face 112 of the connector housing 110 .
- the mating terminal receiving openings 158 extend into the mating terminal receiving portions 126 of the terminal receiving cavities 120 and are dimensioned to receive the mating terminals of the mating connector therein.
- Cleaning openings 160 are provided on the mating face 112 of the connector housing 110 .
- the cleaning openings 160 are positioned proximate to the mating terminal receiving openings 158 and extend through the mating face 112 and into the mating terminal receiving portions 126 of the terminal receiving cavities 120 .
- the cleaning openings 160 are smaller in size than the mating terminal receiving openings 158 , whereby the mating terminals cannot be inserted into the cleaning openings 160 .
- three cleaning openings 160 extend into each terminal receiving cavity 120 , with the cleaning openings 160 positioned in approximate alignment with the securing arms 130 of the respective terminal receiving cavity 120 .
- the cleaning openings 160 facilitates the removal of the excess material or unwanted material from the terminal receiving cavity 120 upon completion of the formation of the housing 120 and the resilient securing arms 130 .
- the gap 40 , 140 may be, but is not limited to, 0.15 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.30 mm, between 0.15 mm and 0.30 mm, greater than 0.30 mm.
- the securing arms 30 , 130 may have, but are not limited to, a thickness of 0.35 mm, 0.37 mm, between 0.30 mm and 0.40 mm.
- the securing arms 30 , 130 may have, but are not limited to, 4 spring arms with a range about the circumference of the terminal receiving cavity 20 , 120 of 75 degrees and a gap between the spring arms of 15 degrees, 5 spring arms with a range about the circumference of the terminal receiving cavity 20 , 120 of 65 degrees and a gap between the spring arms of 15 degrees, 6 spring arms with a range about the circumference of the terminal receiving cavity 20 , 120 of 45 degrees and a gap between the spring arms of 15 degrees.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention is directed a one piece 3D printed electrical connector with securing arms which facilitates the removal of material, such as resin or powder, from the connector. In particular, the invention is directed to a one piece printed electrical connector which has passageways which allow the resin to be rinsed from the printed connector.
- Electrical connector components are typically manufactured from traditional methods and are designed to accommodate the respective traditional tooling methods. Connectors manufactured from multiple components also require assembly and may have lengthy and complex bills of materials and component lead times. A connector designed with the 3D printing or additive manufacturing process in mind can be constructed with consolidated components and/or eliminate many components and manufacturing steps, however all connectors need to be designed for manufacturability. Such 3D printable connectors must be configured to allow the photo curable resin to be completely rinsed from the resulting product in order to obtain optimal performance. However, known connectors have product features which do not allow for adequate residual material removal and cleaning and, ultimately, result in the product not performing as intended.
- It would, therefore be beneficial to provide an electrical connector which is configured to prevent material entrapment and allow adequate material, such as resin or powder, drainage and final rinsing/cleaning resulting in superior product performance. In particular, it would be beneficial to position components and provide weep holes to facilitate improved material removal and cleaning during an additive manufacturing process.
- An embodiment is directed to a single piece electrical connector having a housing with a mating face, a wire receiving face, and housing side walls. Terminal receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the wire receiving face. The terminal receiving cavities have cavity side walls. Resilient securing arms are provided in the terminal receiving cavities. The resilient securing arms have fixed portions which extend from and are integrally attached to base members or projection members which extend from and are integrally attached to the cavity side walls of the terminal receiving cavities. The resilient securing arms are made from the same material and in the same manufacturing process that forms the housing. The fixed ends are spaced from the cavity side walls by gaps. The gaps between the resilient securing arms and the cavity side walls facilitate the cleaning or removal of excess material formed during the manufacturing process of the electrical connector.
- An embodiment is directed to an electrical connector made from an additive manufacturing process. The electrical connector includes a housing having a mating face, a wire receiving face, and housing side walls. Terminal receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the wire receiving face. The terminal receiving cavities have cavity side walls. Resilient securing arms are provided in the terminal receiving cavities. The resilient securing arms have fixed portions which extend from and are integrally attached to base members or projection members which extend from and are integrally attached to the cavity side walls of the terminal receiving cavities. The resilient securing arms are made from the same material and in the same process that forms the housing. The fixed ends are spaced from the cavity side walls by gaps. Cleaning openings are provided on the mating face of the connector housing. The cleaning openings extend through the mating face and into the terminal receiving cavities. Mating terminal receiving openings extend through the mating face of the connector housing. The mating terminal receiving openings extend into the terminal receiving cavities. The cleaning openings are positioned proximate to the mating terminal receiving openings. The gaps between the resilient securing arms and the cavity side walls and the cleaning openings facilitate the removal of excess material formed during the manufacturing process of the electrical connector.
- An embodiment is directed to a method of manufacturing an electrical connector with integral resilient securing arms. The method includes: printing a body of the electrical connector in an additive printing process, the body having terminal receiving cavities therein; printing the resilient securing arms simultaneously with the printing of the body, the resilient securing arms being positioned in the terminal receiving cavities; spacing the resilient securing arms from walls of the terminal receiving cavities to form gaps between the walls; and cleaning excess material created during the additive printing process from the terminal receiving cavities. The spacing of the resilient securing arms from the walls of the terminal receiving cavities allows the excess material to be removed from the terminal receiving cavities and the body of the electrical connector.
- Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
-
FIG. 1 is a top perspective of an illustrative embodiment of an electrical connector of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector ofFIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thearea 4 ofFIG. 3 , showing a pair terminal receiving cavities of the electrical connector. -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of thearea 5 represented by the broken circle ofFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 6 is a top perspective of an alternate illustrative embodiment of an electrical connector of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector ofFIG. 6 taken along line 8-8 ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thearea 9 ofFIG. 8 , showing a terminal receiving cavity of the electrical connector. -
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of thearea 10 represented by the broken circle ofFIG. 8 . - The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
- Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
- With reference to
FIGS. 1 through 5 , an illustrative arrangement of terminal receivingcavities 20 in an illustrative single pieceelectrical connector housing 10 is shown. While theterminal receiving cavities 20 are shown in the illustrative connector housing 10, the invention, as described herein, can be used with terminal receivingcavities 20 in any type of connector housing or assembly. Theconnector housing 10 has amating face 12, awire receiving face 14, andhousing side walls 16. In the embodiment shown, theside walls 16 extend beyond themating face 12 and thewire receiving face 14, however, other configurations of theside walls 16 can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. In the illustrative embodiment shown, theconnector housing 10 has a generally square or rectangular configuration, however, other types, sizes and shapes or housings may be used. Theelectrical connector housing 10 is manufactured using an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing, to form a one piece connector housing. - As best shown in
FIG. 3 , theconnector housing 10 has terminal receivingcavities 20 which extend from themating face 12 to thewire receiving face 14. The terminal receiving cavities are dimensioned to receive terminals (not shown) therein. The particular configuration of the terminals may vary depending upon the application and amount of current required to flow across the terminal. - Each terminal receiving
cavity 20, as best shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , has awire receiving portion 22, a securingportion 24 and a matingterminal receiving portion 26. Thewire receiving portion 22 is positioned proximate to thewire receiving face 14 of thehousing 10. The matingterminal receiving portion 26 is position proximate to themating face 12 of the housing. The securingportion 24 extends between thewire receiving portion 22 and the matingterminal receiving portion 26. - The
wire receiving portion 22 has a diameter A which is large enough to receive the terminal therethrough. The matingterminal receiving portion 26 has a diameter B which is smaller than the diameter A of thewire receiving portion 22. The diameter B is dimensioned to be large enough to allow a mating contact or pin to be inserted therethrough. However, the diameter B is sufficiently small to prevent the terminal inserted through thewire receiving portion 22 to be removed through themating terminal portion 26. - The securing
portion 24 has resilient securingarms 30 provided therein. In the illustrative embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 through 5 , three resilient securingarms 30 are provided in each terminal receivingcavity 20. However, other numbers of resilient securing may be provided. The securingarms 30 have a fixedportion 32 which extends from and is integrally attached to base member orprojection member 38 which extends from and is integrally attached to acavity side wall 34 of the terminal receivingcavity 20. As the securingarms 30 and thehousing 10 are made in a single piece, the securingarms 30 are made from the same material and are made in the same process that forms the other parts of thehousing 10. The fixedportion 32 is positioned proximate to or offset from thewire receiving face 14 of thehousing 10. In the illustrative embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 through 5 , the length of the securingarms 30 is equal to or proximate the length of the securingportion 24. - The resilient securing
arms 30 extend from the fixed ends 32 toward themating face 12 of thehousing 10. The resilient securingarms 30 terminate at free ends 36 which are spaced from theside wall 34 of the terminal receivingcavity 20. The resilient securingarms 30 are configured to cooperate with the terminal inserted therein to maintain the terminal in the terminal receivingcavity 20. The free ends 36 of the resilient securingarms 30 tilt into the terminal receiving cavity further than the fixed ends 32, such that the diameter D of passage formed by the fixed ends 32 is greater than the diameter C of passage formed by the free ends 36. - The number, size, shape and positioning of the resilient securing
arms 30 may vary. The length of the resilient securingarms 30 as measured from the fixed ends 32 to the free ends 36 may vary, as may the length of the terminal receivingcavity 20. The thickness of the resilient securingarms 30 may vary from one embodiment to another. In addition, the thickness of the resilient securingarms 30 may vary from the fixed ends 32 to the free ends 36. The amount of tilt of the free ends 36 may also be varied. While the resilient securingarms 30 in the embodiment shown have a longitudinal axis which is relatively straight, the resilient securingarms 30 may have a curved or helical configuration. The resilient securingarms 30 may be curved inward or outward depending upon the resiliency needed to maintain the terminal in position in the terminal receivingcavity 20. - Although the fixed ends 32 are fixed to base members or
projection members 38 which extend fromside wall 34 of the terminal receivingcavity 20, the fixed ends 32 are spaced from theside wall 34 by agap 40. The size of the gap can be varied. As the resilient securingarms 30 are formed in the same process as thehousing 10, and as tooling cannot be inserted into the terminal receivingcavity 20 to properly form the resilient securingarms 30, thehousing 10 and resilient securingarms 30 must be formed by an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing. Consequently, it is imperative that excess material or unwanted material be able to be cleaned out or removed from the terminal receivingcavity 20 upon completion of the formation of thehousing 20 and the resilient securingarms 30. Providinggaps 40 between the resilient securingarms 30 and theside wall 34 facilitates the cleaning or removal of the excess material. - In order to properly maintain the position of the free ends 36 prior to the insertion of the terminal in the terminal receiving
cavity 20, holders ortabs 42 extend between the free ends 36 of adjacent resilient securingarms 30, as best shown inFIG. 5 . The holders ortabs 42 are integrally formed with the free ends 36 to maintain the free ends 36 in position relative to each other as theconnector housing 10 and the resilient securingarms 30 are cleaned and cured. The holders ortabs 42 are configured to break as the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal receivingcavity 20 to allow the resilient securingarms 30 to act independently to secure the terminal in position. - Referring to
FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 , matingterminal receiving openings 58 extend through themating face 12 of theconnector housing 10. Cleaningopenings 60 are provided on themating face 12 of theconnector housing 10. The cleaningopenings 60 are positioned proximate to the matingterminal receiving openings 58 and extend through themating face 12 and into the matingterminal receiving portions 26 of the terminal receivingcavities 20. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the cleaningopenings 60 are smaller in size than the matingterminal receiving openings 58, whereby the mating terminals cannot be inserted into the cleaningopenings 60. However, other embodiments the cleaningopenings 60 may be integrally connected to the matingterminal receiving openings 58. - In this illustrative embodiment, three cleaning
openings 60 extend into each terminal receivingcavity 20, with the cleaningopenings 60 positioned in approximate alignment with the securingarms 30 of the respectiveterminal receiving cavity 20. However, other numbers and positioning of thecleaning openings 60 may be used. The cleaningopenings 60 facilitates the removal of the excess material or unwanted material from the terminal receivingcavity 20 upon completion of the formation of thehousing 20 and the resilient securingarms 30. - With reference to
FIGS. 6 through 10 , an alternate illustrativeelectrical connector housing 110 is shown. Theconnector housing 110 has amating face 112, awire receiving face 114, andside walls 116. In the embodiment shown, theside walls 116 extend between themating face 112 and between thewire receiving face 114, however, other configurations of theside walls 116 can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. In the illustrative embodiment shown, theconnector housing 110 has a generally square or rectangular configuration, however, other configurations, such as, but not limited to circular, may be used. - As best shown in
FIG. 8 , theconnector housing 110 has terminal receivingcavities 120 which extend from themating face 112 to thewire receiving face 114. The terminal receiving cavities are dimensioned to receive terminals (not shown) therein. The particular configuration of the terminals may vary depending upon the application and amount of current required to flow across the terminal. - As best shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9 , each terminal receivingcavity 120 has awire receiving portion 122, a securingportion 124 and a matingterminal receiving portion 126. Thewire receiving portion 122 is positioned proximate to thewire receiving face 114 of thehousing 110. The matingterminal receiving portion 126 is position proximate to themating face 112 of the housing. The securingportion 124 extends between thewire receiving portion 122 and the matingterminal receiving portion 126. - The
wire receiving portion 122 has a diameter F which is large enough to receive the terminal therethrough. The matingterminal receiving portion 126 has a diameter G which is smaller than the diameter F of thewire receiving portion 122. The diameter G is dimensioned to be large enough to allow a mating contact or pin to be inserted therethrough. However, the diameter G is sufficiently small to prevent the terminal inserted through the matingterminal receiving portion 126 to be removed through thewire receiving portion 122. - The securing
portion 124 has resilient securingarms 130 provided therein. In the illustrative embodiment shown inFIGS. 6 through 10 , three resilient securingarms 130 are provided in each terminal receivingcavity 20. However, other numbers of resilient securing may be provided. The securingarms 130 have a fixedportion 132 which extends from and is integrally attached to base member orprojection member 138 which extends from and is integrally attached to aside wall 134 of the terminal receivingcavity 120. The securingarms 130 are made from the same material and are made in the same process that forms the other parts of thehousing 110. The fixedportion 132 is positioned proximate to or offset from thewire receiving face 114 of thehousing 110. In the illustrative embodiment shown inFIGS. 6 through 9 , the length of the securingportion 124 is greater than the length of the securingarms 130. - The resilient securing
arms 130 extend from the fixed ends 132 toward themating face 112 of thehousing 110. The resilient securingarms 130 terminate atfree ends 136 which are spaced from theside wall 134 of the terminal receivingcavity 120. The resilient securingarms 130 are configured to cooperate with the terminal inserted therein to maintain the terminal in the terminal receivingcavity 120. The free ends 136 of the resilient securingarms 130 tilt into the terminal receiving cavity further than the fixed ends 132, such that the diameter H of passage formed by the fixed ends 132 is greater than the diameter I of passage formed by the free ends 136. - The number, size, shape and positioning of the resilient securing
arms 130 may vary. The length of the resilient securingarms 130 as measured from the fixed ends 132 to the free ends 136 may vary, as may the length of the terminal receivingcavity 120. The thickness of the resilient securingarms 130 may vary from one embodiment to another. In addition, the thickness of the resilient securingarms 130 may vary from the fixed ends 132 to the free ends 136. The amount of tilt of the free ends 136 may also be varied. While the free ends 136 of the resilient securingarms 130 in the embodiment shown are curved slightly inward relatively straight, the resilient securingarms 130 may have a helical configuration. The resilient securingarms 130 may be curved outward or be straight depending upon the resiliency needed to maintain the terminal in position in the terminal receivingcavity 120. - Although the fixed ends 132 are fixed to base members or
projection members 138 which extend fromside wall 134 of the terminal receivingcavity 120, the fixed ends 132 are spaced from theside wall 134 by agap 140. The size of the gap can be varied. As the resilient securingarms 130 are formed in the same process as thehousing 110, and as tooling cannot be inserted into the terminal receivingcavity 120 to properly form the resilient securingarms 130, thehousing 110 and resilient securingarms 130 must be formed by an additive manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to 3D printing. Consequently, it is imperative that excess material or unwanted material be able to be cleaned out or removed from the terminal receivingcavity 120 upon completion of the formation of thehousing 120 and the resilient securingarms 130. Providinggaps 140 between the resilient securingarms 130 and theside wall 134 facilitates the cleaning or removal of the excess material. - In order to properly maintain the position of the free ends 136 prior to the insertion of the terminal in the terminal receiving
cavity 120, holders ortabs 142 extend between the free ends 136 of adjacent resilient securingarms 130, as best shown inFIG. 10 . The holders ortabs 142 are integrally formed with the free ends 136 to maintain the free ends 136 in position relative to each other as theconnector housing 110 and the resilient securingarms 130 are cleaned and thermally cured. The holders ortabs 142 are configured to break as the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal receivingcavity 120 to allow the resilient securingarms 130 to act independently to secure the terminal in position. - Referring to
FIGS. 6, 8 and 9 , matingterminal receiving openings 158 extend through themating face 112 of theconnector housing 110. The matingterminal receiving openings 158 extend into the matingterminal receiving portions 126 of the terminal receivingcavities 120 and are dimensioned to receive the mating terminals of the mating connector therein. Cleaningopenings 160 are provided on themating face 112 of theconnector housing 110. The cleaningopenings 160 are positioned proximate to the matingterminal receiving openings 158 and extend through themating face 112 and into the matingterminal receiving portions 126 of the terminal receivingcavities 120. - The cleaning
openings 160 are smaller in size than the matingterminal receiving openings 158, whereby the mating terminals cannot be inserted into the cleaningopenings 160. In this illustrative embodiment, three cleaningopenings 160 extend into each terminal receivingcavity 120, with the cleaningopenings 160 positioned in approximate alignment with the securingarms 130 of the respectiveterminal receiving cavity 120. However, other numbers and positioning of the cleaningopenings 160 may be used. The cleaningopenings 160 facilitates the removal of the excess material or unwanted material from the terminal receivingcavity 120 upon completion of the formation of thehousing 120 and the resilient securingarms 130. - In various illustrative embodiments, the
gap arms arms cavity cavity cavity - While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials and components and otherwise used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US16/792,534 US11283208B2 (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2020-02-17 | 3D printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features |
CN202110170863.3A CN113270757A (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2021-02-08 | 3D printed high resolution electrical connector with novel material removal features |
CA3109153A CA3109153A1 (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2021-02-12 | 3d printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features |
EP21157200.3A EP3866273A1 (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2021-02-15 | 3d printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US16/792,534 US11283208B2 (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2020-02-17 | 3D printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20210257767A1 true US20210257767A1 (en) | 2021-08-19 |
US11283208B2 US11283208B2 (en) | 2022-03-22 |
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US16/792,534 Active US11283208B2 (en) | 2020-02-17 | 2020-02-17 | 3D printed high resolution electrical connectors with novel material removal features |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US11283208B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3866273A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN113270757A (en) |
CA (1) | CA3109153A1 (en) |
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CN113972523A (en) * | 2020-07-22 | 2022-01-25 | 泰科电子(上海)有限公司 | Housing for mounting connection terminal and connector |
Family Cites Families (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2984811A (en) | 1957-02-06 | 1961-05-16 | Bendix Corp | Electrical connector |
CA966925A (en) | 1971-12-30 | 1975-04-29 | Amp Incorporated | Electric connector housing assemblies |
US4168105A (en) | 1978-06-27 | 1979-09-18 | Amp Incorporated | Resiliently loaded coupling ring |
FR2568728B1 (en) | 1984-08-01 | 1987-02-06 | Labinal | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR |
JP3292462B2 (en) | 1998-05-29 | 2002-06-17 | ホシデン株式会社 | Connector with locking mechanism |
CH702854A1 (en) | 2010-03-18 | 2011-09-30 | Huber+Suhner Ag | Interface connector. |
WO2013135848A1 (en) | 2012-03-16 | 2013-09-19 | Delphi Connection Systems Holding France | Electrical connector assembly |
US9793639B1 (en) | 2017-02-02 | 2017-10-17 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Electrical connector system with multiple flexible terminal retaining beams |
CN109256645B (en) | 2017-07-12 | 2021-09-21 | 康普技术有限责任公司 | Quick-locking coaxial connector |
US10396485B1 (en) | 2018-04-05 | 2019-08-27 | Delphi Technologies, Llc | Electrical connector assembly |
-
2020
- 2020-02-17 US US16/792,534 patent/US11283208B2/en active Active
-
2021
- 2021-02-08 CN CN202110170863.3A patent/CN113270757A/en active Pending
- 2021-02-12 CA CA3109153A patent/CA3109153A1/en active Pending
- 2021-02-15 EP EP21157200.3A patent/EP3866273A1/en active Pending
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CA3109153A1 (en) | 2021-08-17 |
CN113270757A (en) | 2021-08-17 |
EP3866273A1 (en) | 2021-08-18 |
US11283208B2 (en) | 2022-03-22 |
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